Miui how to find out the firmware version. What is global firmware on Xiaomi

In the field of software for smartphones, firmware is the operating system that is currently installed in the phone.

All operating systems are regularly updated, that is, new firmware appears from time to time. Until recently, the leading positions belonged to the Android and iOS operating systems. Android is loved for its open architecture and many settings, iOS is distinguished by good data protection and optimization.

Global and international firmware

A lot changed when Chinese manufacturers broke into the smartphone market with their own proprietary Android firmware - MIUI from Xiaomi, Flyme from Meizu and others. Now they are rapidly gaining popularity, and it was with their appearance that the concept of global firmware appeared.

Initially, these firmwares were used exclusively in the Chinese market. The skins were distinguished by the absence of Google services, the presence of applications relevant only to China, and the availability of only two languages \u200b\u200b- Chinese and English. On the Internet, they are also called China ROM.

After some time, these smartphones, due to their characteristics and low cost, began to enjoy increased demand outside of China. For such devices, they began to release a global (international) firmware - Global ROM. It supports many languages, including Russian, as well as Google services and applications.

How to order a smartphone with international firmware?

Many users are eager to purchase a new phone directly from China as it saves on purchase costs. When ordering, you should be careful, as there is a risk of getting a smartphone with Chinese firmware. To do this, you need to carefully study the characteristics of the model on the seller's website and make sure that there is a “Global Version” or “Global ROM” mark. Better yet, write to the seller and clarify the information with him.

If, due to the seller's dishonesty or your own carelessness, you buy a smartphone with Chinese firmware (China ROM), do not be upset - in most cases, you can install a global (international) firmware on the gadget, but this is a solution for experienced users.

Xiaomi phones that can be officially purchased outside of China usually come in three versions. In this article, we will look at what regional versions of Xiaomi phones are there?

Xiaomi Redmi phone versions differ in support of LTE frequency bands, while Mi phone versions are identical in hardware and only come in a different box. Most Xiaomi phones only have Chinese versions like Mi 5X or.

Xiaomi smartphone versions

Let's take a closer look at how the Chinese version differs from the international Xiaomi, in order to understand which phones are sold on AliExpress and unofficial stores.

Chinese version

The devices are manufactured in China and come with a box with all the inscriptions in Chinese. Also in Chinese, there may be factory films on the back panel, and a protective one on the smartphone screen with the model name.

The kit contains a NEMA power adapter, which without an adapter cannot be used for charging in our sockets.

The phone comes with China Stable ROM pre-installed. But, it should be borne in mind that many sellers on Aliexpress can sell Chinese versions of Xiaomi phones with Global Stable ROM. Therefore, you should not focus on the firmware alone.

On the plus side, the Chinese version is cheaper.

Indian version

These phones are manufactured and sold in India. The devices come in a box in English with a standard power adapter and pre-installed global stable firmware.

Indian Redmi phones support significantly fewer LTE bands than Chinese versions. Because only a small part of them is used in India. Therefore, the manufacturer intentionally does not include support for many bands.

On the top of the box with the Indian version, there is a red “Made in India” sticker (made in India). This is a distinctive feature of such phones.

An example of models released specifically for India: Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Redmi Y2.

Global version

These smartphones are manufactured in China for sale to the rest of the market (i.e. outside of China and India).

The language of the box and the plug of the power adapter depends on the region where the phone will be sold in the future. In most countries, telephones are sold with inscriptions in English and with the Euro plug MDY-08-EO (5V / 2A).

In addition, the global version is distinguished by a red “Global Version” sticker on the top of the box.

Smartphones come with global stable firmware only. For 2018 models, this is MIUI 9 Stable Version 9.2, 9.5 and above.

Also, Redmi's global phones support more LTE bands than Chinese ones. For example, there is support for the popular. Such models work more stable with local mobile operators, the speed of the 4G network is higher. Therefore, many users prefer to wait until the global version of the new Xiaomi model is released, than to buy a Chinese one.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Official and Chinese version of Xiaomi smartphones what is the difference?

It's simple: the box (labels and markings), support for frequency ranges and firmware (but not necessary).

Differences between the global version and the Chinese Xiaomi Redmi 4x?

In addition to the obvious signs (the presence of hieroglyphs in the Chinese version, etc.), which were described above. Let's compare the two phones in practice. Will the difference really be critical?

1. Global Redmi 4x came out only in 3/32 GB variant. Therefore, there is no international 2/16 GB option.
2. Convenient Euro plug, which does not require an additional adapter.
3. The appearance is absolutely identical, only the stickers on the rear panel, which are glued at the factory, differ.
4. Support for 4G networks. Since there are Band 7 and Band 20. On both versions of the phone, many 4G operators will have a stable Internet connection.
5. On some devices, there is a difference in display specifications. In Chinese it is installed - BOE Display. It has better brightness and white balance. Internationally - an Ebbg screen with a predominantly yellow tint.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus the difference between the global version?

After the smartphone was officially presented, but it has not yet begun to be sold in Russia. Many users were faced with the fact that they could not understand which version they had. Sellers on Ali assured that they only sell "globalki", but in fact they sent Chinese versions with appropriate markings. Masking such phones with the installed unofficial Russian-language firmware ("flip flops").

They present their products not only to the international market, but also to the domestic consumer (i.e. for use in China). Against this background, on the market you can find various modifications of such smartphones, both for international and domestic use.

Today there are 3 versions of these smartphones:

• Version for the domestic Chinese market (here the global firmware is installed, as in the European version).
• European Version or Global Version. The name of the product indicates "EU" or "Global Version".
• Version from Rostest. Marked with the "PCT" sign.

What is their difference? And so on in order.

Packaging and equipment.

The differences are clear here. The packaging of smartphones, intended for the international market, has almost all the inscriptions in English, as well as a red sticker with the words “Global Version”. All documentation is in English. The kit contains an original charger with a European plug.

The Asian version (for use within China) does not have English on both the box and the documentation. Includes a charger for a Chinese outlet. (This charger can be used with a European plug).

Rostest or PCT is supplied with documentation in Russian and a charger with a European plug.

At this stage of comparison, everyone has a lot of questions. For some reason, it is generally accepted that a flashed phone is not so good or even cannot perform its functions. Let's dispel this myth.

The Asian version of the smartphone does not have Russian-language firmware from the factory. After leaving the factory in specialized services, the same Global firmware is installed on them as in the Global Version. When selling, sellers usually mark such versions with the Global Firmware label.

Most common:

Global ROM, Global FW (Firmware), Global Firmware, Global Firmware - they all mean the same thing.

Smartphones for the international market (Global Version), like the Rostest versions, already have a pre-installed Global firmware from the factory.

As a result, all three versions have the same firmware.

4G support (aka LTE)

Perhaps this is where the essential difference between phones for the Chinese and international markets lies. Although in fact, if you understand it a little more in detail, you can understand how it is not essential.

A little about technology.

Unlike GSM and UMTS, which have become the standard for 2G and 3G communications, LTE can use a much wider spectrum of frequencies.

LTE technology can operate at frequencies from ultra-low 450 MHz to ultra-high 5 GHz, and moreover, it can combine several bands into one channel using LTE Advanced technology. In turn, these frequencies are divided into ranges, which are usually called "bands" (Bands).

There are 70 LTE "bands" in total, which differ in frequency and some other parameters.

At the moment, Russian operators use 5 bands:

• - 3 in the range of 1800 MHz FDD;
• - 7 in the 2600 MHz FDD range;
• - 20 in the 800 MHz FDD range;
• - 31 in the 450 MHz FDD range;
• - 38 in the 2600 MHz TDD band.

Let's move on to the differences in the LTE versions of the smartphone

Smartphones of Chinese brands (Xiaomi, Huawei Honor, Mezu ...) for the Asian market support LTE frequencies Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 .., and for the European - Band 1, 3, 5 , 7, 8, 38, 40, as well as B4 and B20.

At the same time, Band 4 (AWS) is practically not used in Russia and is actively used only in some countries of the world (for example, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico), and Band 20 due to the low frequency (800 MHz), which is not able to provide high capacity and speed, used only as an additional frequency in cities, as well as in extremely sparsely populated areas.

Even with the additional B20 frequency, the difference in speed between the European and Asian versions will be invisible in practice, because Russian (as well as foreign) operators use the B3 (1800), B7 (2600 FDD) and B38 (2600 TDD) frequencies for data transmission at high speeds. ).

If you wish, you can always study in more detail the set of frequencies in the model of interest. And also before buying, you can always install your SIM card in the phone and check the operation in 4G networks.

Separately - version Rostest (PCT)

What is this version, and what is its advantage.

This version is not much different from the international version. Global Version is certified according to Eurotest standards. She works all over the world except for some countries, including Russia.

In Russia, one more Eurotest certificate is imposed - Russian (Rostest). Thus, Rostest is a certificate of already certified goods in Europe. Of course, this does not come without additional costs, and accordingly, its cost is included in the cost of the smartphone. On average, this is approximately 20% of the value of the product.

What does this give?

In return, you get the right to have your phone repaired during the entire warranty period at official service centers throughout the country. The telephone with the Eurotest certificate is listed all over the world. Nowhere in the world do they overpay 20% of the price for an additional guarantee.

Only the Rostest version has an official guarantee?

It should be noted that Eurotest (Global Version, EU) and the Chinese version of the phone (Global ROM) are not guaranteed like Rostest throughout Russia.

In this case, you are not left without a guarantee, for such versions the store provides its own 1 year warranty. Those. you can get it repaired free of charge under warranty by bringing it to the store where you bought it.

In general, buying Eurotest is the same as buying a phone abroad at a lower price. Only in the case of a warranty repair, you would have to go back to this country or fix it for money at home. Buying Eurotest or Global ROM, say, in our store, you immediately have a free guarantee, and you don't need to go anywhere.

Comparison table of differences

Many fans of new products in the field of smartphones have long paid attention to.

However, it is not so easy to deal with all the know-how on your own, which is where the question arises for what the global firmware is needed and what it is.

Content:

Definition of global firmware

In technical language, firmware refers to the operating system that is used as the basic material for any smartphone to work.

Since manufacturers are constantly working on improving it, from time to time the phone offers to update the firmware version so that the user can appreciate the new features of his gadget.

The product developed by the company has become a leader in the field of secure data storage.

However, with the development of the Chinese market, a number of technical devices, along with all the "stuffing", were replenished. On the existing base of Androind, manufacturers such as Flyme (Xiaomi) have decided to create their own versions of global firmware.

The original form of the new invention was planned to be used exclusively in Chinese, since there was no such forecast that could calculate such great popularity in a competitive market.

In the first version, there were only two languages: national and English, only relevant applications for the Chinese population were used, was not available.

In common people, this version of the firmware was called "Chine ROM".

As demand for Chinese smartphones has skyrocketed, the main task of manufacturers was to expand the available characteristics. Thus, the firmware appeared in many languages, hence the name Global ROM.

Types of firmware, given the origin

The initial firmware has two options: standard (China ROM, two languages \u200b\u200bavailable: Chinese and English) and global (Global ROM, available for use in many languages \u200b\u200bof the world).

1 China ROM As the name implies, it is relevant for the local population in China, since it has a number of its own characteristics. It has installed applications, functionalities, taking into account cultural interests. In addition, there are language restrictions as the firmware contains only two languages: Chinese and English.

2 Global ROM means multispectrum oriented to other cultures. In this case, there are no applications relevant to the first option. Most of the services are present, which is especially common in the US and Europe.

Classification by type

1 Weekly (Developer ROM). The most popular type of firmware, since all the latest changes can be obtained through its use. It is an official legacy from developer Xiaomi. Generally, the update occurs every week on Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. Often, if there are errors in the new firmware, then you should not worry, because they will be eliminated in the next weekly update

2 Stable ROM. As in the first version, it is the official creation of the Chinese developer MIUI (a protege of Xiaomi). However, there is a difference: this firmware contains only measured parameters and functions, the work of which is maximally debugged. The best option for those who are not chasing new bugs and testing technical innovations. An important difference from other versions of global firmware is inconsistent updates, since it uses exclusively debugged mechanisms

3 Unofficial, custom (Ported ROM). Built on a variety of functions and programs that were created by third-party specialists. The standard, proven firmware is used as a basis. In this case, updates do not occur constantly, so it is impossible to calculate a specific date. Sometimes the interval is up to several months

4 Samopal. It is not an independent category of global firmware. As a rule, firmware data is presented at the lowest possible cost, since it is collected by amateurs with numerous errors, an inconvenient interface, and poor-quality translation. Since the quality of this type is poor, it is most reasonable to use one of the three options presented above.

Sizes of global firmware

It is customary to highlight everything two size ranges of existing firmware:

• Full (Full ROM). A complete customized package that is most often installed the first time you use the gadget. It contains all the necessary programs and applications that you need to work with the device. As a rule, the weight of such a package is no more than 2 GB
• Refresh (Incremental ROM).As the name implies, such firmware is focused exclusively on new services, applications and bug fixes from previous versions. It is important to note that due to its low weight (up to 200MB), almost every smartphone has technical support for such a package.

Differences between Chinese and global firmware

Many users are sure that apart from the lack of support for the Russian language in the English-Chinese version, the rest of the program is no different from the global one.

• China ROM is indeed characterized by the lack of support for the Russian language. But there are also models with basic firmware that have completely eradicated this flaw. However, it is important to understand that when using such patches, there is no security at all. Therefore, trusting personal information means taking really serious risks.
• Everyone's favorite is also missing, and converting your own gadget is possible only with the help of unofficial versions
• China ROM contains exclusively services intended for use by the Chinese population, therefore, the question of how relevant they are for residents of other countries remains open. It is also worth noting that the work of such a gadget is characterized by lower performance. Errors occur frequently
• There are situations when the manually installed one refuses to continue working, due to the fact that the system recognizes it as malware, so it is unlikely to be able to fully exploit it.

Updates

All types of official firmware are subject to upgrade from the air. The only exception can be the moment when problems or errors occurred during the download process.

If there is no automatic update, then there is an alternative option - download in manual mode.

To avoid the risk of a virus infection or downloading unwanted programs, it is recommended to use only reliable sources.

The most popular is the official website of the MIUI manufacturer. As for custom options, they can only be found in unofficial sources.

If we talk about custom firmware, then it is impossible to use it in the same way as the official one. Without fail, a jump from the resource is required.

The situation when the operating system becomes outdated and is not able to properly load new games or applications is typical in nature.

If the phone starts to work incorrectly or freezes, then this is the first sign that it's time to change the firmware. In this case, in order to expand the capabilities of the gadget, you should not resort to downloading the official global firmware, because in the end you will get the same result. They help to increase the performance of the phone.

However, this firmware still has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits:

• The main advantage of custom firmware is regular updating, which involves using completely new features, or improving old functions. It is worth noting that third-party developers often visit forums with discussions and read the wishes of customers who carefully follow new software or updates. This is extremely important, since reviews help to make the next version an order of magnitude higher by changing the parameters or improving them. For example, the user can indicate that the battery charge indicators are displayed incorrectly. In this case, the unofficial developer will make every effort to correct such a flaw.
• However, users who keep up with the times note another advantage of custom firmware - the absence of additional garbage, which clogs the phone's memory with unnecessary programs. The performance of the phone increases with a change in the firmware, since the initially available code is considered optimized, which means that you can download the upgrade at any time. Since the firmware does not preserve data from third-party applications, charging the gadget will last much longer.
• By using custom firmware, you can install the latest version. It should be noted that not a single manufacturer that produces smartphones or gadgets is engaged in updating the operating system, therefore, it is possible to install the newest version only with the support of an unofficial firmware.

Disadvantages:

• First of all, the most important drawback is related to the fact that each user must have the extended capabilities of the copyright holder, which may not always lead to the desired consequences. As an opposite effect, there is always the possibility of getting together an ordinary plastic brick that will not respond to even the most trivial commands. Therefore, before you start pouring, you must read and thoroughly study all the information about the firmware.
• If the phone breaks down, it is important to understand that after flashing, warranty service is no longer possible, so repairs can be quite expensive. Sometimes it turns out that taking risks and installing an unofficial version of the firmware is not so urgent, since the user may have enough of the already existing functions, so there is no point in doing such actions unnecessarily.
• Before downloading the firmware, it is recommended to find out as much information as possible about it. There are many forums on the Internet where advanced users discuss this or the version, what are its shortcomings, what does not work after downloading, whether there are viruses. It is not advisable to take risks and download the firmware from a source unknown to anyone, as these may be scammers.

Many fans of novelties in the field of smartphones have long paid attention to the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi.

However, it is not so easy to deal with all the know-how on your own, which is where the question arises for what the global firmware is needed and what it is.

Definition of global firmware

In technical language, firmware refers to the operating system that is used as the basic material for any smartphone to work. Since manufacturers are constantly working on improving it, from time to time the phone offers to update the firmware version so that the user can appreciate the new features of his gadget. As you know, until recently, the most common operating systems were IOS, Windows, Android. The product, developed by Apple, has become a leader in secure data storage.

However, with the development of the Chinese market, a number of technical devices, along with all the "stuffing", were replenished. On the existing base of Androind, manufacturers such as Meizu, Flyme, MIUI (Xiaomi) have decided to create their own versions of global firmware.

The original form of the new invention was planned to be used exclusively in Chinese, since there was no such forecast that could calculate such a great popularity in a competitive market. In the first version, there were only two languages: national and English, only relevant applications for the Chinese population were used, Chrome was not available. In common people, this version of the firmware was called "Chine ROM".

As demand for Chinese smartphones has skyrocketed, the main task of manufacturers was to expand the available characteristics. Thus, the firmware appeared in many languages, hence the name Global ROM.

Types of firmware, given the origin

The initial firmware has two options: standard (China ROM, two languages \u200b\u200bavailable: Chinese and English) and global (Global ROM, available for use in many languages \u200b\u200bof the world).

1China ROM As the name implies, it is relevant for the local population in China, since it has a number of its own characteristics. It has installed applications, functionalities, taking into account cultural interests. In addition, there are language restrictions as the firmware contains only two languages: Chinese and English.

2Global ROM stands for multispectrum oriented to other cultures. In this case, there are no applications relevant to the first option. Most of the services are available from the usual Google, which is especially common for the USA and Europe.

Classification by type

1. Weekly (Developer ROM). The most popular type of firmware, since all the latest changes can be obtained through its use. It is an official legacy from developer Xiaomi. Generally, the update occurs every week on Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. Often, if there are errors in the new firmware, then you should not worry, because they will be eliminated in the next weekly update

2. Stable ROM. As in the first version, it is the official creation of the Chinese developer MIUI (a protege of Xiaomi). However, there is a difference: this firmware contains only measured parameters and functions, the work of which is maximally debugged. The best option for those who are not chasing new bugs and testing technical innovations. An important difference from other versions of global firmware is inconsistent updates, since it uses exclusively debugged mechanisms

3. Unofficial, custom (Ported ROM). Built on a variety of functions and programs that were created by third-party specialists. The standard, proven firmware is used as a basis. In this case, updates do not occur constantly, so it is impossible to calculate a specific date. Sometimes the interval is up to several months

4.Samopal. It is not an independent category of global firmware. As a rule, firmware data is presented at the lowest possible cost, since it is collected by amateurs with numerous errors, an inconvenient interface, and poor-quality translation. Since the quality of this type is poor, it is most reasonable to use one of the three options presented above.

Sizes of global firmware

It is customary to highlight everything two size ranges of existing firmware:

• Full (Full ROM). A complete customized package that is most often installed the first time you use the gadget. It contains all the necessary programs and applications that you need to work with the device. As a rule, the weight of such a package is no more than 2 GB
• Refresh (Incremental ROM).As the name implies, such firmware is focused exclusively on new services, applications and bug fixes from previous versions. It is important to note that due to its low weight (up to 200MB), almost every smartphone has technical support for such a package.

Differences between Chinese and global firmware

Many users are sure that apart from the lack of support for the Russian language in the English-Chinese version, the rest of the program is no different from the global one. However, such a statement should not be considered true. There are several aspects that distinguish one version from another:

• China ROM is indeed characterized by the lack of support for the Russian language. But there are also models with basic firmware that have completely eradicated this flaw. However, it is important to understand that when using such patches, there is no security at all. Therefore, trusting personal information means taking really serious risks.
• The beloved Google Play is also missing, and converting your own gadget is possible only with the help of unofficial versions
• China ROM contains exclusively services intended for use by the Chinese population, therefore, the question of how relevant they are for residents of other countries remains open. It is also worth noting that the work of such a gadget is characterized by lower performance. Errors occur frequently
• There are situations when manually installed Google Play refuses to continue working, due to the fact that the system recognizes it as malware, so it is unlikely to be able to fully exploit it.

Updates

All types of official firmware are subject to upgrade from the air. The only exception can be the moment when problems or errors occurred during the download process. If there is no automatic update, then there is an alternative option - download in manual mode.

To avoid the risk of a virus infection or downloading unwanted programs, it is recommended to use only reliable sources. The most popular is the official website of the MIUI manufacturer. As for custom options, they can only be found in unofficial sources.

If we talk about custom firmware, then it is impossible to use it in the same way as the official one. Without fail, a jump from the resource is required. The situation when the operating system becomes outdated and is not able to qualitatively load new games or applications is typical by nature.

If the phone starts to work incorrectly or freezes, then this is the first sign that it's time to change the firmware. In this case, in order to expand the capabilities of the gadget, you should not resort to downloading the official global firmware, because in the end you will get the same result. They help to increase the performance of the phone.

However, this firmware still has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits:

• The main advantage of custom firmware is regular updating, which involves using completely new features, or improving old functions. It is worth noting that third-party developers often visit forums with discussions and read the wishes of customers who carefully follow new software or updates. This is extremely important, since reviews help to make the next version an order of magnitude higher by changing the parameters or improving them. For example, the user can indicate that the battery charge indicators are displayed incorrectly. In this case, the unofficial developer will make every effort to correct such a flaw.
• However, users who keep up with the times note another advantage of custom firmware - the absence of additional garbage, which clogs the phone's memory with unnecessary programs. The performance of the phone increases with a change in the firmware, since the initially available code is considered optimized, which means that you can download the upgrade at any time. Since the firmware does not preserve data from third-party applications, charging the gadget will last much longer.
• By using custom firmware, you can install the latest version of the Android operating system. It should be noted that not a single manufacturer that produces smartphones or gadgets is engaged in updating the operating system, therefore, it is possible to install the newest version only with the support of an unofficial firmware.

Disadvantages:

• First of all, the most important drawback is associated with the fact that each user must have the extended capabilities of the copyright holder, which may not always lead to the desired consequences. As an opposite effect, there is always the possibility of getting together a super-functional phone an ordinary plastic brick that will not respond even to the most trivial commands. Therefore, before you start pouring, you need to read and thoroughly study all the information about the firmware.
• If the phone breaks down, it is important to understand that after flashing, warranty service is no longer possible, so repairs can be quite expensive. Sometimes it turns out that taking risks and installing an unofficial version of the firmware is not so urgent, since the user may have enough of the already existing functions, so there is no point in doing such actions unnecessarily.
• Before downloading the firmware, it is recommended to find out as much information as possible about it. There are many forums on the Internet where advanced users discuss this or the version, what are its shortcomings, what does not work after downloading, whether there are viruses. It is not advisable to take risks and download the firmware from a source unknown to anyone, as these may be scammers.

Installation instructions

Modern users of Chinese-made smartphones have long been accustomed to ordering goods directly from companies. And although the cost of the gadget is an order of magnitude lower, there is still one caveat - the presence of China ROM, which does not support the Russian language. To understand the question of how to install the global firmware, take the Meizu MX6 as an example.